Words of the Recession’s Prophets Are Written on the Van’s Walls

He’s got a van, a plan, and a Sharpie. An unemployed former paint store worker from Oregon is traveling around the country, inviting people to write how the recession has affected them in black marker on his van.

One person wrote:

Lost my job. Became homeless. Been robbed, abused, discriminated, arrested, and neglected. There is no compassion in America.

Yikes. Disturbing and poetic at the same time. The Washington Post profiles Aaron Heideman, the “Man in a Van,” as he’s calling the cross-country project.

And yes, this is a project, not merely a whimsical exploration of the country. Heideman plans on entering the Man in a Van into an art competition where the top prize is $250,000. That’s some entrepreneurial creativity right there.